A federal court jury on Friday ordered Minolta Camera Co. to pay $96.35 million to Honeywell Inc. for infringing on Honeywell patents in manufacturing autofocus cameras.
Industry analysts said the verdict will push other camera companies to settle with Minneapolis-based Honeywell, which said it will file similar patent suits against at least 15 other companies.Autofocus cameras were the "holy grail" of the camera industry in the early 1980s, and Japan-based Minolta stole the Honeywell patents when it took the Maxxum autofocus cameras to market in January 1985, Honeywell lawyers charged.
"This is a victory for America, that piracy of our intellectual technology will not be tolerated," said Honeywell chief financial officer Christopher Steffen.
U.S. District Judge Alfred M. Wolin said he did not believe current friction in U.S.-Japanese relations affected the case.
"I am confident global issues unrelated to this case played no role in your deliberations," Wolin told the jury after the verdict.
Honeywell sought at least $174 million in royalties for the patent infringements and an unspecified amount for violating a contract concerning the trade secrets.
Honeywell's stock rose sharply just after the verdict, but settled back to finish the day at $73.75 with a 25-cent gain on the New York Stock Exchange.
The jury's mixed verdict, after 61/2 days of deliberation, pleased Minolta in some respects.
Jurors found that Minolta had infringed on three of four Honeywell patents in producing the Maxxum autofocus camera, but they also found that one of the three patents was invalid and that Minolta's infringement was not willful.
If the jury had found willful infringement, the judge could have tripled the damage award.
Honeywell also applied for an injunction banning U.S. sales of Minolta cameras containing the patented technology. Wolin reserved judgment on that, saying he would meet with the two sides in March to hear arguments.